In order to enhance military capability and defend threats, a network system including multiple nodes has been developed to allow quick and efficient data transfer among the nodes of the network. The network system may be known as a net centric system which refers to a service-based system of sensors, individuals, aircraft and the like which supports mutual awareness of situational events through data sharing. Critical information may be transferred to individuals and organizations that require situational relevant information in a quick and efficient manner. This may improve the efficiency and speed of combat operations and reduce military and terrorist threats.
Within a net centric system, it is vital that critical information is forwarded to any destination requiring the critical information. Conventional systems for forwarding data amongst nodes of a network are limited by a number of factors, for example, primarily lack of flexibility or inability to define different forwarding situations, inability to associate forwarding situations with system or network situational events, inability to change the data that should be forwarded for different forwarding situations, inability to change the destinations for receipt of forwarded data and the like. Conventional systems may be based upon a hard-coded software system with separate software components for each forwarding solution. This requires significant changes in software code or configurations of software components for any changes in forwarding procedures. Additionally, forwarding logic is typically embedded within the software code, and only software developers have access to the forwarding logic, severely constraining the ability to change forwarding capabilities for different situations or missions in the field. In addition, this software management problem prevents system integrators from changing or modifying forwarding situations without changing large configurations of software components that are not easily mapped to forwarding situations.
Conventional systems which forward critical information are also limited by their inability to efficiently forward messages between different tactical link pairs of different types, exemplified by one such pair defined as Link 16 and Link 11 according to a United States Department of Defense specification MIL-STD-6020. In a changing and evolving net centric environment, many different data forwarding situations and requirements will continually occur, and consequently, an adaptive system and method for dynamically creating new or modified forwarding data situations across a network is necessary.